More than 150,000 Nigerians are currently undergoing skills development in over 1,600 accredited centres across the country as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to align education with labour market needs, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said.
Speaking at the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos on Monday, Alausa said the push is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is repositioning the education sector.
“Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is repositioning education to produce innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians and job creators rather than job seekers,” he stated.
He noted that with nearly five million young people entering the labour market annually, industry-aligned skills have become a national necessity.
The Minister explained that through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, government is strengthening the National Skills Qualification Framework, improving quality assurance and expanding competency-based training nationwide.
He said thousands of trained instructors and quality assurance officers have been deployed to ensure standardisation and employability outcomes across the 1,600 centres where the 150,000 trainees are enrolled.
Alausa stated that the next phase of implementation will focus on scaling quality, deepening private sector engagement and expanding labour market linkages.
He identified emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, renewable energy, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing as key areas that will define future job opportunities, making sustained investment in skills development a national imperative.
In recognition of his leadership in advancing skills development and TVET reforms, the minister was conferred with the TVET Champion of the Year Award at the conference in acknowledgement of his contributions to repositioning technical education as a driver of national transformation.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, described TVET as central to the state’s development strategy.
“TVET is a strategic pathway to employment, innovation and national development,” he said.
He stressed the need to equip young Nigerians with practical, digital and entrepreneurial skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy driven by technology and green growth.
He also highlighted Lagos State’s investments in technical colleges, industry partnerships and hands-on training, while calling for stronger collaboration between government, industry and development partners.
The three-day conference, themed “Harnessing TVET as a Pathway to Employment: Building a System for Employability, Inclusion and Green Growth in Nigeria,” brought together policymakers, industry leaders and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s skills ecosystem and accelerate economic transformation.
